Koninklijke Philips Corporation N.v.

Richard Moessel

Bernhard Gleich

Tim Nielsen

Ingo Schmale

Jürgen Erwin Rahmer

A wireless passive marker device () to be tracked and a respective tracking system () are provided which make use of a sensing unit () comprising a resonator element () with piezoelectric properties and a coil element (), whereby an externally applied excitation field having a particular frequency is applied to act on the sensing unit () and wherein the sensing unit () responds to the externally applied excitation field by the resonator element () performing persisting mechanical oscillations in resonant mode, the persisting mechanical oscillations resulting in a piezoelectric voltage causing the coil element () to generate a magnetic field that may then be detected by the tracking system () and used for determining the position of the marker device () and/or sensing a physical property in the surrounding environment of the marker device ().

Passive wireless coil-based markers and tracking system

A system for receiving signals from a magneto-mechanical oscillator includes a main coil array adapted to receive a response signal of the magneto-mechanical oscillator and to transmit an excitation signal to the magneto-mechanical oscillator, and an additional coil for receiving a signal of the magneto-mechanical oscillator. A localizer is adapted to localize the additional coil and comprises a controller for controlling the main coil array and the additional coil such that a received localization signal is generated, a sensitivity provider for providing sensitivity information, and a processor for determining a position and/or orientation of the additional coil based on the provided sensitivity information and based on the received localization signal. A kit is provided for upgrading a system with a main coil array, by adding one or more additional coils and providing software for locating the one or more additional coils with the use of a pilot tone transmission.

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HAMBURG, Germany

Richard Moessel